2024-05-09 08:47:41
Now that artificial intelligence is beginning to permeate all discussions, regardless of the intellectual level of the circles in which it is discussed, it is time to see many of its concepts being used universally. Players engaged in processes like intelligent image scaling, as well as more creative people using the same or cleaner programs. This year has seen a boom in chat and AI-generated models, but these uses have yet to gain much traction in work environments and in everyday life, when processes are driven by customers rather than through the cloud.
That’s why it was very interesting to try and review the new Medion E15443 (MD62621) laptop. Essentially, it is a so-called “multimedia notebook” computer, a mid-range portable computer suitable for less demanding use and able to function in office automation, multitasking and even image, audio and video editing. . More interestingly, thanks to its Intel chipset, Intel Core Ultra 5 processors and Intel Arc graphics, it is presented as an AI-focused device, including a dedicated AI “neural” unit (NPU). .
Without spending too much time on theory, this NPU is not only designed to handle client-based neural tasks, but also to support the CPU and GPU and reduce their load. At the same time, it must enable non-high-end computers to run processes that previously required more powerful, more expensive units. In fact, Intel hopes that up to 100 million computers of all sizes will use AI accelerators by the end of next year.
Here is an announcement:
In other words, even if the Medion MD62621 is created as a laptop, it must offer better AI performance on the user side than a mid-range gadget. We started by testing general laptop usage from a traditional perspective, then finished with more specific AI testing.
The laptop is priced around £650 and it comes with a decent 15.6-inch 16:9 HD display, including the Intel package, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It’s very thin and compact, not trying to compete with the lightest books, at only 20.6 mm and 1.8 kg.
Regarding connectivity and other features, I really like the SD card reader, which is becoming increasingly rare, but I miss the Ethernet port, even if I know that it is not a priority for devices equipped with the Wi-Fi 6. As for the hardware, the only real downside is the length of the power cable, which is surprisingly short.
For a little over a week, we had the pleasure of using a modern and fast computer for various tasks. Its specs are well-coordinated and response times are fast, even with a tab-laden search engine, a host of automated office suites, and some multimedia features taking up most of its RAM. Its keyboard is responsive and smooth and thankfully includes a number pad. Likewise, the construction feels solid even though its design is not luxurious and does not have a cooling solution.
Here is an announcement:
Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a general-purpose multitasking laptop with a 15-inch screen that’s lighter than the aforementioned price, this Medion is a real option worth considering.
Switching to artificial intelligence, the results were very close to what I expected. Although the Intel Core Ultra 5 NPU can take care of some processes by running them faster than other similar PCs without it, it is heavily dependent on software and compatibility, which is what I expected. Some programs offload these tasks to the CPU or GPU in very specific ways, and I have a feeling that Intel’s architecture, if literally distributed, could take on some of the workload itself. Likewise, when there are differences in graphics routines when comparing Nvidia and AMD, I assume the same is true when relying on a graphics card, in this case integrated into the SoC d ‘Intel.
Since I liked the examples Medion used in its demos of various AI applications, I tried three of them myself. Aside from the overused generative AI, of all the apps presented, I chose to clean up a very noisy photo in Adobe Photoshop, divide a song into tracks in Audacity, and run a few games to check whether the update The scale can make them work outside of games. laptop.
To make an informal comparison, I measured the battery life of two 2018 desktops with the Medion MD62621 in the first and second scenarios. For the first test, I used an Intel Core i7-8700K and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti 32 GB RAM (my work PC). As for the second test, I used a compact desktop with a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i5-8499 and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 16 GB RAM (my personal PC).
I took a photo of a dark interior with my Nikon Z6 in RAW. This is a cropped image with dimensions 5405 x 3603 pixels (from 6048 x 4042 primitives), taken at 300 ppi at ISO 2500, with a color depth of 14 bits and a size of 27.5 MB file, just for your information. Using Adobe Camera Raw’s latest 50-stop “noise reduction” feature (raised on purpose), the most powerful desktop took 27 seconds, the humblest desktop 1:19, and Medion 3:20.
Continuing with the song, instead of using a lossless format, I converted the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ song “Goodbye Angels” from my iTunes to a 45.2MB WAV. It was originally a ‘an AAC M4A 256k of 9.15 MB with a duration of 4:28. I used OpenVINO plugin to split it into 4 stems: drums, bass, vocals and others, I tried both CPU and GPU. A more powerful desktop took 1:18 with the CPU and failed with the GPU. Its younger brother took 1:22 with the CPU, and the GPU also failed. In the end, Medion took 1 minute and 32 seconds using the CPU and 37 seconds using the GPU. To be honest, it only took 58 seconds as the model was loaded for the first time, but after that it only took 37 seconds as you read.
As for video games, I did some testing with demanding games like Returnal and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and it was clear to me that the demands placed on the laptop were too high. Neither of them achieve comfortable frame rates for gaming at low settings (both reach 15fps), but it will be interesting to see how Ubisoft’s game improves performance by changing AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 in Intel Xe Super Sampling, perhaps this is a logical video configuration. rather than a graph.
Overall, the AI test results are very interesting and different, and they reinforce the theory that there isn’t enough optimization or compatibility when it comes to what NPUs can do. From what I can tell, I have the impression that Adobe routines are supported on dedicated Nvidia graphics cards and that it doesn’t know how to use the NPU properly, and in the build we see more convincing examples. Quality aside, this song shows that Medion can take on and even defeat more powerful computers. Although it’s important to note that OpenVINO’s learning comes from Intel, so ironically there are compatibility issues if you try to use an Nvidia GPU. Finally, while we’ve seen the Medion run older games like Rise of the Tomb Raider smoothly thanks to the Intel Arc expansion, that’s probably as high as a laptop like this can go. In other words, it’s not bad to play older or less demanding games.
That said, I still think the Medion 62621 is a well-rounded product, with excellent multitasking performance and a clever AI integration idea that we’ll definitely see refined over the next few years, not years, but months. Now, it’s not fully optimized as testing shows, but it’s always better to have a PC out of the box, and if I were to buy a laptop in this price range, I’d want this SoC.
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#Medion #MD62621 #AKOYA #E15443